Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has hired arbitration partner Ing Loong Yang from Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong to strengthen its international disputes practice.

Yang is recognised as one of the leading cross-border disputes practitioners in Hong Kong and brings with him more than three decades of experience handling international arbitration cases and commercial litigation in Asia, particularly involving entities in Greater China. That experience has spanned shareholder and joint venture disputes, tech and licensing disputes, commercial criminal defence and other investigations, as well as compliance and regulatory matters.

Steve Baldini, partner and head of Akin Gump’s global disputes practice, said: “Ing Loong’s experience and profile in Hong Kong and mainland China are in the very top tier, and his arrival will enhance the firm’s existing, well-established investment funds-focused Hong Kong disputes practice and help us to deliver strategic growth across our international disputes practice in Greater China, across Asia and beyond.”

Yang spent just over nine years at Latham & Watkins having joined from Sidley Austin and Singapore firm Allen & Gledhill before that. He has sat on arbitration panels in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul.

His arrival at Akin Gump's Hong Kong arm, which lists a total of 17 professionals, follows the hiring of high-profile UAE disputes lawyer Graham Lovett, who joined as a partner in Dubai from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in March.

Kim Koopersmith, Akin Gump’s chairperson, said: “Together with the recent addition of Graham Lovett and his market-leading disputes practice to our Dubai office, Ing Loong’s arrival provides further exceptional growth for the firm’s international arbitration and disputes practice. He will be a huge benefit to our clients internationally and locally, as well as to the firm as a whole.”

A host of other firms have recently been seeking to amp up their disputes capabilities. Last month, Vinson & Elkins hired Nabeel Ikram from Hogan Lovells to bolster its commercial litigation practice in Dubai following the exit of Vinson’s Dubai managing partner Amir Ghaffari, who left to launch his own boutique Middle East disputes practice.

And at the end of March, Allen & Overy landed veteran Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom disputes partner David Herlihy to boost the UK Magic Circle firm’s international arbitration coverage.